Library

Overview

Urbanologists and other types have been interested in the interactions between different groups of people in cities for hundreds of years. There is quite a broad literature on studying different types of communities and public spaces, and this recent paper from the Demos group in the United Kingdom adds to that body of work. This 40-page report was first published in July 2007, and it was authored by Hannah Lownsbrough and Joost Beunderman. As the report's subtitle suggests, it is primarily concerned with presenting a dynamic look at how public places can effectively encourage interaction between diverse communities in urban areas. For this work, the researchers looked at three separate locations in Britain, and this report presents some of their findings on what works well (and not so well) in terms of creating and maintaining high-quality public places. The report is both thoughtful and thorough, and persons with an interest in urban planning, sociology, and related fields will find it quite compelling